PARLIAMENT resumes sitting today after the Easter holidays, with committee meetings having started sitting on Monday. BY VENERANDA LANGA
When the House adjourned in March, MPs from Zanu PF had shunned debate on a matter of public importance on the disappearance of democracy activist Itai Dzamara.
Debate on the issue, which was introduced by Kuwadzana East MP Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T), had to be adjourned three times, and the last time it was adjourned Zanu PF MPs walked out of the House to thwart introduction of the discussion by the opposition MDC-T MP.
In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, Chamisa said the issue would still be debated, and this time as a motion and not just as a matter of public importance.
“We are saying if government cannot go on with the investigations, then let Interpol be invited to do finality on the matter because Dzamara’s family is suffering and they need closure,” Chamisa said.
“Last time the issue was introduced in the National Assembly, Zanu PF MPs walked out, but now they cannot avoid debate on the issue because it is now in the National Assembly Order Paper instead of it being discussed as a matter of public importance.” Chamisa said Parliament must be able to protect the rights of persons as enshrined in the country’s Constitution, adding that it was the duty of the legislature to insist on observance of human rights.
“Since it is now on the Order Paper, those MPs who ran away from the debate cannot do that now. Even if they walk out again, the issue is going to be debated anyhow since it is now a motion,” he said.
Dzamara was allegedly abducted and bundled into a truck a year ago in March at a barbershop in Glen View. Since then he has not been accounted for. He was well-known for one-man demonstrations at Africa Unity Square where he demanded that President Robert Mugabe should resign.
